Starkville mayor suggests creation of drainage fee

STARKVILLE – Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman has suggested adding a drainage fee to city utilities.
Wiseman said the fee would help offset a million-dollar gap between expected revenues and project costs over the next 10 years.
Wiseman has suggested $2.50 a month for residential units and $5 a month for commercial customers.
He said the fee would generate $400,000 a year.
City Attorney Chris Latimer said he’ll research the legality of implementing a stormwater fee before the city board takes any action.
Wiseman said storm sewer fees are a growing trend in other municipalities.
Shannon police search
for alleged armed robber
SHANNON – Shannon police were searching Thursday for a man allegedly involved in an armed robbery in the parking lot of Family Dollar store.
Police Chief Desiree Kershner said around 9:15 a.m. Thursday, the man jumped into a car with a man and woman in the store parking lot on Romie Hill Avenue.
She said the man put a gun to the head of the man in the car and demanded his money.
The woman in the car then ran into the store.
The other victim jumped from the car and ran north on Romie Hill Avenue.
Kershner said they are looking for Jeffrey Green, 40, who is believed to be driving a black Nissan Maxima with Oktibbeha County plates.
She said the victim identified Green and says the two apparently knew each other.
Casino tower added to Biloxi’s blighted list
BILOXI – The former Casino Magic hotel tower has been placed on Biloxi’s list of blighted buildings.
Biloxi wants the properties fixed up or torn down.
More than 50 properties are on the blight list.
The city can require inspections of Hurricane Katrina-damaged commercial properties, and if a property is blighted, require the property owner to take action.
Katrina damaged the high-rise Casino Magic building on the waterfront off U.S. Highway 90 in 2005. It has remained empty since the storm.
It was to be part of a larger casino development by Caesars Entertainment, which the gambling giant started but never completed.
Daily Journal, wire reports